


Repayment

by AshsHorrorShow



Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Edward is a little shit, M/M, One-Sided Attraction, happy valentines day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-14
Updated: 2017-02-14
Packaged: 2018-09-24 12:16:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,803
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9726581
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AshsHorrorShow/pseuds/AshsHorrorShow
Summary: Edward Nygma has a proposition for Batman.





	

Batman hated when his job put him in positions like this. Positions where he was forced to work or make deals with one of his many enemies. It was a painful enough experience to do that… but he had to say there was new level of pain added to it all when the criminal he had to strike a deal with was Edward Nygma, aka the Riddler, who was arguably one of the most annoying rogues he had to deal with on a somewhat regular basis, which was saying a lot. 

But as he constantly lectured Tim on a daily basis, sometimes a man had to do something he really didn’t want to do if it meant getting a job done. Edward was obnoxious, sure, but he was also incredibly smart and had loads of connections and information on practically every corner of Gotham, which Batman needed right now.

Harley Quinn was out and about again and he needed to know where she could be hiding so he could collect her and place her back in her cell at Arkham. Much to his dismay though, she had gotten a lot craftier lately and she had gotten a lot better at covering her tracks compared to when she first started her criminal career. She had proven that even with Joker gone and God knows where, she could handle a crime syndicate on her own. Honestly, he hadn’t expected much of her criminal career when Joker fell off the radar. He supposed this was in a way karma for underestimating one of his rogues. They always managed to be full of surprises.

Unfortunately for her though, crafty or not, even she couldn’t hide from all of Riddler’s feelers. Batman didn’t know how the man managed to recruit as many people as he did with so many various backgrounds. Most rogues, when getting henchmen, would usually stick to thugs and skilled gunmen who were looking for any excuse to hurt people while getting paid for it. Those like Oswald Cobblepot, Joker, or Two-Face, who had a bit of extra cash lining their pockets could afford to even hire a mercenary or two. Occasionally, they managed to lure in a psychopathic engineer or two, but they usually kept things simple with their hired help. 

Don’t get him wrong, he knew from personal experience that Edward had quite a few thugs and gunmen and stuff himself in his little army. However, his reach was much larger than just that. Riddler’s reach spread all across the job market: fast food employees, businessmen, rocket scientists, strippers… anyone could become a Riddler spy or employee it seemed. 

Batman knew he could spend several months trying to weed through all of Riddler’s employees and he would never come close to catching them all. Unlike other rogues, Riddler’s employees weren’t always decked out in lime-green or sticking out like peacocks amongst a crowd of people. No, they were subtle and nearly invisible. Chances were, Harley herself had probably unknowingly hired a couple of Riddler moles and snitches herself. Even if she didn’t (which was statistically unlikely), Riddler no doubt knew where she was. He had monitors everywhere both above and below Gotham. Every time Batman knocked out the servers, the Riddler would just seem to fix it again. The man always seemed to want to know what everyone in Gotham was doing. 

If Harley was in Gotham still, Riddler knew where she was, and seeing as he had no other leads to go on (every clown on the street he beat up either had no idea where she was holed away, were simply taking orders from a messenger he had yet to catch, or were just simple street thugs wanting to carry on the Joker moniker now that he was gone), he unfortunately found himself having to rely on Riddler’s knowledge base. 

But even though he knew he had to put the citizens of Gotham over his own pride, that didn’t make this any situation less frustrating… especially when Edward looked so smug, like a cat who caught the canary. A part of him was already itching to connect his fist into Edward’s nose or teeth… but he had to be mature.

“So that’s how you heroes play, huh? You criticize and demonize my methods all until you suddenly need me… and then you come crawling over to me begging me to help you and conveniently forget the fact you’ve physically assaulted me multiple times and-”

“Can it, Nygma, are you helping me or not?” Batman interjected, annoyance coating his gruff voice. He knew once Edward got started, he could ramble on for a surprisingly long time and Batman would rather spare himself from the monologue full of insults about his apparent lack of intelligence and brutish nature. He saw a look of anger flicker through Edward’s green eyes and for a moment, Batman was actually afraid he might’ve made the man mad enough to refuse his offer, and then immediately got disgusted that he had to feel that way. He hated having to feel dependent on a rogue. 

Of course, if Riddler refused, he could do tracking of his own, but it could take quite a while before he got a satisfactory answer and by that time, Harley might execute her plan and slaughter people. Batman really didn’t want to live with the guilt that his pride was what caused people to die. 

Thankfully, Riddler merely said, “Still rude as ever I see, Batman. No matter… I will agree to help you… under one condition of course!” Puffing out his chest he said, “We are enemies after all! I expect a form of repayment of some kind as-”

“I am not doing any dirty work for you, Nygma. I am not willing to become a pawn in your silly games,” Batman ground out immediately. He knew coming here was a mistake…

Edward immediately raised his hands up and hurriedly said, “No, no! It’s nothing like that! What I want is-”

“I’m not bringing you along either for the job,” Batman said, cutting him off once more. For some reason, Edward seemed obsessed with tagging along on missions at times. Batman couldn’t tell if the man was simply bored or if he was just wanting to study Batman’s methods so he could use them against him but-

Riddler’s face was red as a tomato at this point from frustration and anger. Fists clenched, he snapped, “If you would shut your trap for a second, then you would find out I don’t want that either. Geez… and you people say I have the blabbermouth…”

Batman was already wanting to leave, but he had to admit, he was curious on just what Riddler was wanting now. Riddler hadn’t been causing any trouble since his release from Arkham… at least none that Batman could beat him up and throw him back for… but perhaps Riddler giving him an idea of what he wanted, then he could get an angle on him and what he was planning. So, forcing himself to stay grounded, he said, “So what is it exactly that you’re wanting then, Edward?” 

Edward’s face morphed from an expression of frustration to a grin of excitement that was so intense that Batman couldn’t help but feel somewhat disconcerted. What did the scrawny rat want? Raising a gloved index finger up, Edward declared, “What I want Dark Knight in return for my services is… a kiss.”

Batman couldn’t say he found himself struck speechless all that often… but that had certainly did it. Part of him wondered if what he had heard was even real. He discreetly pinched himself on the leg to confirm with himself that he was indeed awake and this was not some weird, surreal dream. Edward was still there clearly feeding on his reaction smugly and he did not awaken.

He always had somewhat of an inkling of an idea that Edward for some reason harbored some feelings for him. He wasn’t blind. As mentioned before, the man seemed to be making extra efforts to tag along on missions. When he wasn’t doing that and Edward was doing his usual habit of causing trouble, Batman noticed that the man seemed trying harder to impress him in a way… as if seeking approval in a way. He supposed that was better than Edward trying to squash him with a giant compressor or something. Even when they had confrontations, he saw Edward attempt to be more chatty than usual. 

And he still refused to bring up the time Edward had used his riddles and traps to wine and dine him. 

He had seen all the signs beforehand, but they had all been subtle enough to easily disregard. He never expected Edward to go the full on blatant route. Batman kept hoping for Edward to start laughing and reveal that this had all been one big joke and say what he really wanted… but the man was showing no signs of it being one.

Maybe this was an elaborate trap. Maybe Pamela Isley and Edward had teamed up and she gave him a lip balm full of mind-control particles and…

Okay, even he knew he was stretching there.

At worst, he could see Riddler doing this to humiliate him in front of the Rogues Gallery or Gotham or something… but even that was slim seeing as he knew Edward would much prefer to do that in an intellectual manner instead. Plus, if he was the one being kissed, he would get just as much backlash and reaction so he didn’t see how this would benefit him that much at all. Even if Edward simply spread it around… who would believe him? Certainly not the citizens of Gotham who saw him as a looney… and certainly not the rogues who probably had seen Edward get punched around by him plenty of times. 

So for right now, he could only assume Edward was being honest with what he wanted. 

Why did such things have to happen to him?

“Oh come on Dark Knight, you’re not going to really deny practically free information that can save the lives of thousands just because you have to kiss little ol’ me, right?” Edward crooned, clearly enjoying seeing him squirm. Batman’s jaw clenched. Much as he hated to admit it, Edward had a point and if that is what it took.

“Fine. Deal. But you give me the information first and only AFTER I find Quinzel and capture her will I… do that.” 

“Oh wow… no fun, I see… but fine. So long as you keep to your promise. You should have your information by tomorrow.” Edward said, holding out his hand, grin still plastered on his face.

Batman grudgingly shook it, wondering if he just unknowingly stepped into something more.

**Author's Note:**

> I don't even ship this, wtf. Why have I written two stories for it? 
> 
> I came up with this idea a while ago and had it mostly written but never finished it. But hey, since it's Valentines Day and I love y'all... I figured why not finish and post this. If you're a BatRiddles fan, enjoy. Lol. 
> 
> As always, critique is wanted and appreciated.


End file.
